Charles Esten, Small Time Rock Stars Team Up for ‘Here Come the Predators’ [LISTEN]

Charles Esten is saluting the Nashville Predators Stanley Cup run with some brand-new music: The singer-songwriter and Nashvillestar recently unveiled "Here Come the Predators," a song celebrating Music City's hometown hockey team.

On Instagram, Esten explains that he and Steve Mandile, the leader of Bridgestone Arena's house band, the Small Time Rock Stars, teamed up to write "Here Come the Predators," which "is meant to be played as loud as the SMASHVILLE crowd." Esten and Mandile met while filming Nashville in 2012, and Mandile invited Esten to sing with the group -- which also tours as Sixwire -- at some Preds games. Esten brought "Here Come the Predators" to Mandile in early 2016, and when the team earned their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, they decided to record it.

"It's a fittingly raucous tribute from that killer house band and this lucky guest," Esten adds, "to the great hockey team that this great hockey town loves so much."

The Predators, NHL.com reports, will be keeping "Here Come the Predators" in their music rotation throughout the rest of the team's Stanley Cup run. The Preds will begin playing in the Stanley Cup Final, after winning their Western Conference Final series vs. the Anaheim Ducks, on Tuesday (May 29).

The Predators’ Stanley Cup Final opponent has yet to be determined; in the Eastern Conference Final series, the Pittsburgh Penguins are leading the Ottawa Senators three games to two, with Game 6 scheduled for Tuesday night (May 23). Nashville’s first home game of the Stanley Cup Final series is scheduled for June 3; the team will also host a game on June 5, and could be hosting a game on June 11, should the series go that long.